Spatial Distribution of a Leaf-Eating Saharan Gerbil (Psammomys Obesus) in Relation to Its Food

Daly, Martin; Daly, Sandra

doi:10.1515/mamm.1974.38.4.591

Cited by 28 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Ce rongeur vit en petites colonies sur les piémonts argilomarneux des collines qui délimitent ce sous-bassin. Observée pour la première fois en dehors de son biotope naturel (pourtour des chotts et sebkha) [10], cette espèce semble posséder une aire de répartition assez large, englobant les strates écologiques du Sahara, de la steppe et du tell. Cela dénote une remarquable adaptation écologique chez ce rongeur.…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

Extension de Leishmania major au nord de l’Algérie

Boudrissa

Cherif

Kherrachi

et al. 2011

Bull. Soc. Pathol. Exot.

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Since a long time, Leishmania major and L. infantum foci in Algeria were geographically separated by the mountains of the Tell Atlas which represent a natural barrier. Recently, a new focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) has emerged in the village of El M'hir, located on the north side of the chain of the Tell Atlas, in the basin of the Soummam. During the period 2004-2010, 152 CL cases have been registered and 12 isolates were obtained from patients who declared never having been outside the village the last years. The identification of the parasites showed that all strains belonged to L major MON-25. Investigations on the reservoir hosts showed the presence of the sand rat (Psammomys obesus), for the first time, in this locality. Five strains isolated from this rodent belonged to L. major MON-25. The sand rat, which is usually observed around the chotts in the Saharan and steppe areas, acts as the main reservoir of L. major in Algeria. Its presence in the new focus of El M'hir is reported for the first time. Entomological surveys carried out in 2009 showed the predominance of two sandfly species: Phlebotomus papatasi and P. perniciosus. The first one is known as a vector of L major in the Algerian Sahara. This study highlights the spread of L. major from the arid zones towards the semi arid areas, particularly in the Soummam valley. Climate changes and desertification observed in the steppe area northern Sahara could play a role in the extension of the disease.

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Section: Discussionunclassified

Extension de Leishmania major au nord de l’Algérie

Boudrissa

Cherif

Kherrachi

et al. 2011

Bull. Soc. Pathol. Exot.

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“…The finding that the active burrows covered a larger area with more entrances and a larger mound size, and less canopy area of A. articulata than those of the abandoned ones, is relevant to the activity and the foraging behaviours of the fat sand rat (Daly and Daly, 1974;Ilan and Yom-Tov, 1990;Fichet-Calvet et al, 1999, 2000. The foraging behaviour of fat sand rats is restricted almost exclusively to the area within their burrow systems where they cut and take leaves of the plants to their burrows to be eaten after cleaning out dirt and excreta off the burrows (Daly and Daly, 1974). Excavated of materials during construction, regular cleaning of burrows, and foraging and/or caching activities, result in higher and larger mounds with more litter, dung and bare ground in the active plots.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The fat sand rats are folivorous that feed almost exclusively on plants of the family Chenopodiaceae supplemented by some leguminous plants and annuals (Daly and Daly, 1974;Fichet-Calvet et al, 2000;Tchabovsky and Krasnov, 2002). Warrens of P. obesus comprise a series of entrance holes, generally originating under fodder shrubs (Daly and Daly, 1974).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the abandonment of the burrowing mounds of fat sand rat (Psammomys obesus cretzschamar 1828) on vegetation and soil surface attributes along the coastal dunes of North Sinai, Egypt

El‐Bana

2009

Journal of Arid Environments

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“…This pattern is characteristic if an individual that forages intensively in one small patch of low-quality food moves to another one when food resources are depleted. For example, small drifting home ranges were observed in folivorous sand rats that could not maintain themselves for a long period within the same patch of low--quality food and had to relocate home ranges (Daly and Daly 1974). Such drifting home range use should be manifested by temporal dependence of distance measures with short-term movements being shorter than long-term multiday movements.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ranging patterns of two syntopic gerbillid rodents: a radiotelemetry and live-trapping study in semi-desert habitat of Kalmykia, Russia

2004

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2004. Ranging patterns of two syntopic gerbillid rodents: a radiotelemetry and live-trapping study in semi-desert habitat of Kalmykia, Russia. Acta Theriologica 49: 17-31.We studied ranging patterns of syntopic folivorous and granivorous gerbils (Meriones tamariscinus Pallas, 1773 and Meriones meridianus Pallas, 1773, respectively) by means of radiotracking and live-trapping in Kalmykia, southern Russia. We hypothesized that ranging patterns exhibited by these rodents would differ in accordance with differences in their preferred diets. Trapping and radiotracking were performed from 23 May to 20 June 2000 on a 12 ha grid divided into 20 ´ 20 m squares. To assess ranging patterns we estimated the number of grid squares visited by an individual, 100% minimum convex polygon, mean squared distance from the center, maximal distance between individual locations, linearity index, and distance measures at various temporal scales. In accord with expectations, females of folivorous M. tamariscinus exhibited smaller ranges than females of granivorous M. meridianus. Contrary to our expectations both trapping and radiotracking data revealed similar "granivorous" ranging patterns in males of both species of gerbils. Male M. meridianus and M. tamariscinus were similar in number of burrows used, home range size, and distances traversed. No temporal dependence of distance measures was revealed in either species; males of both species traversed similar distances regardless of time interval for distance measures so that single-night movements and multiday movements did not differ in either species. High food selectivity in male M. tamariscinus is considered to be responsible for the "granivorous" pattern of space use in this folivorous species.A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, 33 Leninskii pr.,

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Spatial Distribution of a Leaf-Eating Saharan Gerbil (Psammomys Obesus) in Relation to Its Food

Cited by 28 publications

References 5 publications

Extension de Leishmania major au nord de l’Algérie

Extension de Leishmania major au nord de l’Algérie

Effects of the abandonment of the burrowing mounds of fat sand rat (Psammomys obesus cretzschamar 1828) on vegetation and soil surface attributes along the coastal dunes of North Sinai, Egypt

Ranging patterns of two syntopic gerbillid rodents: a radiotelemetry and live-trapping study in semi-desert habitat of Kalmykia, Russia

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